The Monster Squad Page #15

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MRS. SHROUD

Convince your parents it's a good

time to visit Canada, or something.

I don't know.

She pushes herself up and out of her seat, and begins to pad

towards the door.

MRS. SHROUD

I'm tired, and I'm retired. It's at

the point now where I'm thinking a

little conflagration might be good

for people. Your generation's got

its head up its ass, and the world

isn't getting any less ugly.

Shroud reaches down for her doorknob, but Liam's up and

advancing fast. The door starts to open, but Cross SLAMS it

shut.

LIAM:

No. I said this is bullshit.

MRS. SHROUD

I wasn't asking, kid. Step lively,

or I'll kick your ass off my porch

myself.

LIAM:

If you're too much of an old

chickenshit to stand up and fight,

then at LEAST teach us what you

know. It's the least you can do.

Shroud has opened the door a bit, but now SLAMS it herself.

The other boys and Lize are up, and flank Liam.

93.

MRS. SHROUD

Let me make this crystal clear for

you. This is not Nintendo f***ing

happy hour, where you grab a magic

mushroom and get another chance.

This is real warfare, with real

blood, and a very real chance that

you or someone you love will die.

LIAM:

We can be ready.

MRS. SHROUD

Ready? You can be "ready"? You

think you can be ready for the

possibility of having your

fingernails pulled out, and being

used to peel your skin off, one

inch at a time? Or maybe having to

pull the trigger on a loved one,

before they tear your throat out?

Your own mother, maybe?

CHUD:

I could probably do that.

MRS. SHROUD

Think. Think about it long and

hard, kid. You want to be "ready",

you'd better harden up and realize

that you might die before you've

even really lived. Now, take your

sister home and make sure she gets

to bed.

Liam doesn't budge.

LIAM:

Please.

94.

MRS. SHROUD

All due points for your grit, kid,

but…

Someone KNOCKS heavily on the door, startling the group.

Shroud reaches into the umbrella caddy in the foyer and draws

out a large revolver, cocking the hammer and slowly turning

the knob.

It's a cop. Late twenties, blue eyes, black hair, solid jaw.

He offers a papery smile to the older woman, and we can now

see that there's two police cruisers out on the street, along

with quite a few startled neighbors. The red lights cast the

scene in a dull crimson glow.

.

OFFICER RUTLAND:

Sorry to bother you ma'am, but we

had reports of shots fired in the

neighborhood, and… (He notices

Deacon) … hello, Means.

Officer

night.

DEACON:

Rutland, sir. Lovely

MRS. SHROUD

Oh, I'm afraid not. We've just been

sitting around, discussing… the

upcoming football season. I don't

believe we heard any commotion.

Rutland gives her a strange, unconvinced look before nodding.

OFFICER RUTLAND:

So, you know these kids.

MRS. SHROUD

I'm their cafeteria lady.

95.

OFFICER RUTLAND:

Oh-kay. If it's alright, I'll go

ahead and walk them back across the

street. (To Deacon) And I want a

few words with you.

DEACON:

Joy.

The kids begin to file out of Shroud's house, leaving Liam

last.

LIAM:

Please.

Shroud rolls her eyes in exasperation, and leans down towards

the kid.

MRS. SHROUD

Sleep on it. You still ready to

martyr yourself up tomorrow

morning, come see me. I'm not

guaranteeing a damn thing, but I'll

show you little shits a thing or

two.

Liam nods silently, and scurries to catch up with the others.

EXT. SUNNY SIGN COURT

Out on the street, a handful of officers try to maintain some

semblance of order while a small group of neighbors fire off

questions and comments noisily. Among them are Mrs. Cross and

Len, who notice Liam and the others being led across Shroud's

front yard.

MRS. CROSS

Oh my GOD! Someone heard gunshots

out here, and you kids are running

around doing… what did you do to

your pants NOW?

96.

LEN:

Come on, come on. They're alright.

No harm, no foul. Let's get inside,

it's freezing out here.

LIAM:

I'll be along. Just one second.

He turns to look at the other boys, expectantly. Deacon

passes the trio, being talked at by Officer Rutland. He grins

slyly and slides a middle finger up at them.

.

LIAM:

I'm going back there first thing

tomorrow. You coming along?

CHUD:

To do what? Watching this sh*t on

cable's one thing, Liam. Actually

living it is something else.

D'JUAN

Count me out.

LIAM:

D'Juan.

D'JUAN

I didn't ask to get thrown into the

blender with you guys, and as far

as I'm concerned… good luck with

it, man. Peaces.

D'Juan turns and heads off, leaving Liam and Chud behind.

LIAM:

You bitching out, too?

CHUD:

No. I'll be here.

97.

Liam nods silently, and swats the other boy on the shoulder

before picking up the pace and heading for his house. He jogs

across the lawn and up the stairs, only to find that Lize's

seated on the porch swing, waiting for him. Wordlessly, she

hops up and scuttles over, throwing her arms around her

brother's waist before he can protest.

LIZE:

Whatever happens, I'm with you.

Liam doesn't know what to say. He returns the embrace, as the

moon continues to shimmer placidly overhead.

INT. CHERRYMOUNT ASYLUM - BASEMENT - NIGHT

Thump. With a gross, wet splat, the lifeless body of a

CONVENIENCE STORE CLERK is dumped on the concrete floor. Its

limbs splay out in dead weight, the fabric of its polo shirt

and the nametag on it-"JOE"-torn, revealing the mauled flesh

underneath. A vampire bride wipes the back of her hand across

her bloodied mouth, having been carrying the corpse.

It's one of many. Maybe a half-dozen dead bodies-mostly dead

University students, from the looks of things--are strewn

about the floor of the asylum's basement, the firelight from

the boiler flickering over the ghastly scene. Kaziglu watches

it all with a managerial air, as Rueger humps down the stairs

and dumps another lifeless figure with the others.

.

KAZIGLU:

Fate turned a key tonight, Rueger.

I saw her. The Order's steward.

There's a faint sound of movement on the floor; as Kaziglu

and Rueger look on, one of the dead bodies begins to twitch.

KAZIGLU:

Tomorrow, we move swiftly. No more

second chances. Your task will be

to bait the hook, and once she

comes along to indulge the usual

heroics… we'll bleed her dry.

98.

INT. THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE - MORNING

All it takes is a brief once-over to see that Liam hasn't

slept a wink from the night before. His eyes are pinkish and

slightly sunken, narrowed in focus on something held in his

hand. He's stretched atop his blankets on his bed, fully

dressed.

We close in tight on the piece of paper he's holding. It's a

photograph. In it, a younger version of Liam, Lize, Mrs.

Cross and a man who we'll assume is the late Mr. Cross are

all grinning and waving, standing against a clear blue sea.

Liam's thumb strokes the photo thoughtfully.

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